Josh Allen gives the Buffalo Bills a built-in reason to watch. ESPN’s Ben Solak still has them sitting surprisingly low on his watchability list.
Buffalo lands one spot ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and one spot behind the Philadelphia Eagles, a placement Solak tied directly to the fact that Allen remains the headliner. As he put it, "It's hard to have the Bills this far down in the watchability rankings on account of their quarterback," Ben Solak wrote.
"Josh Allen is not just elite, he is perhaps the most watchable among the elite quarterbacks. Allen's best plays are physical marvels, and his worst plays are jaw-dropping head-scratchers.
The issue is that the reason to watch the Bills -- Allen is sick -- is the same reason we've had for the past five seasons. DJ Moore is not enough of a star receiver to move that needle.
"Perhaps coach Joe Brady will open up the offense, as the Bills were third in the league in called run rate last season (54.7%) and Allen was 25th in air yards per attempt (7.0). Jim Leonhard might do the same to the defense, which was notoriously uncreative in Sean McDermott's tenure -- but I'm not sure the personnel is in hand for a good unit in Year 1 of the transition."
The Bills are coming off a 12-5 season that ended with a Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos in the 2026 playoffs. That defeat also brought a coaching change, with Sean McDermott fired and Joe Brady elevated to head coach.
Now Buffalo enters Year 1 of the Brady era with a schedule that includes the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Bears and Broncos.
Allen’s production still jumps off the page. The 2024 MVP finished last season with 3,668 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 579 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. For his career, the Pro Bowler now has 30,102 passing yards, 220 passing touchdowns, 4,721 rushing yards and 79 rushing touchdowns.
The bigger question hanging over Buffalo is the same one that follows Allen everywhere now: how much time is left to turn all that talent into a championship? He’s still in his prime, but the window is no longer limitless.
Allen sounded optimistic about Brady after the promotion, saying, "Still respecting the past and what's been here the last 10 years and not shying away from that, but also having his own twist on it," Allen said after Brady was named HC. "It's been really good to see him embrace the role and step into it. The way that he talks to the guys, you can tell he's very well respected with everybody in that locker room, and it's only going to continue to grow in my opinion."
In Other News...
Bills Final Roster Debate Just Got A Lot More Interesting
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Damar Hamlin also kept building a case with his second interception of the preseason, and rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. continued to make the competition for the starting job more interesting. For a team that entered the summer looking for answers at a few fringe spots, the finale did not just end the exhibition slate on a high note, it sharpened the debate about which young players have done enough to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Bubble Battles Will Define Joe Bradys First 53-Man Roster
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Those decisions are only the opening act for a much larger week of bubble battles, with the final 53-man roster set to reflect how this staff values production, fit and reliability. For a team settling into a new era, the back end of the roster may end up saying as much about the Bills direction as any headline player on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Receiver Room Just Sent A Clear Message Before Cutdowns
The Bills are trimming their roster ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and one of the early signals came in the receiver room with Mecole Hardman Jr. being released as part of cutdowns. Buffalo had viewed the three-time Super Bowl champion as a depth option, likely the No. 6 wideout on the chart, but he never found much of a foothold in the preseason on offense or on special teams.
For a roster still being sorted into its final form, the move opens another spot for Buffalo to work with as the 53-man deadline comes into focus. It also says something about how tight the competition was at the back end of the receiver group, where reputation and experience were not enough to overcome a quiet summer. [Read more 🡒]